Planning for 2021: How to use your planner.

It is time to look ahead to 2021 and start planning for a new year! Read our tips to getting the most from your planner and go into 2021 ready. 

Create a Morning Routine 

I am sure you already know that the most successful people in the world have at least one thing in common, a morning routine. Sit down and think about what you would like your mornings to look like. What will they include? What will the routine achieve? Create a space in your planner to write down your morning routine. You could write it at the start of each day or if you have a habit tracker in that space. 

Here is an example of a morning routine:

• Drink a glass of water
• Meditate for five minutes 
• Mindfully make a cup of tea 
• Check my daily planner 

Turn Your Planner into a Habit

A planner can change your life, helping you to become more organised and productive but only if you use it. Most of what we do daily is based on habits. It can take between 18 to 254 days to create a new habit so this will require some willpower. Set aside a certain time everyday to check your planner and write in it, do mini check-ups throughout the day and one day a week (a Sunday works for me) re-view the last week and set up the new week ahead.  Like anything it takes work but will become second nature. 

Create a Key

Even if you do not own a Bullet Journal, a key can be useful. It helps divide your to-do list out between tasks, notes and events. Try creating a key at the beginning of your planner and using it throughout. Below is a really easy key to use based on the Bullet Journal system.

Use your planner to practise gratitude

Practising gratitude is a very powerful tool and your planner is the perfect place to do it. Your planner might already have a place for you to write down what you are grateful for. If not set aside a space each day to jot down a few things that you really appreciated that day. If you have a Bullet Journal, create a gratitude page for each month and set it up like a monthly log. You could write your gratitudes as part of your morning routine or at night before bed. 

Create a goal timeline page to guide you through the year. 

While New Year’s resolutions are great, they are often one ‘goal’. In realty we all have many goals that we want to achieve in a year. Some small and some big. A goal timeline page can give you a visual plan that helps you meet any goals you may have. Separate the page into two parts, one with goals you repeat e.g starting a morning routine and the other side with bigger one time goals e.g to buy a house. Check in on your goals frequently, update them as new ones come along and cross out old ones that you no longer need.

2021 Here You Come!

We hope some of these ideas help you get the most from your planner in 2021. We have plenty more tips and tricks coming up so make sure to follow us on Social Media to stay updated.

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